Letter: Gorilla killed due to an assumption

To the editor

Published 4:58 pm, Thursday, June 9, 2016

Photo: Jeff McCurry

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A June 20, 2015 photo provided by the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden shows Harambe, a western lowland gorilla, who was fatally shot Saturday, May 28, 2016, to protect a 4-year-old boy who had entered its exhibit. (Jeff McCurry/Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden via The Cincinatti Enquirer via AP) ORG XMIT: OHCIN501 less

A June 20, 2015 photo provided by the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden shows Harambe, a western lowland gorilla, who was fatally shot Saturday, May 28, 2016, to protect a 4-year-old boy who had entered its ... more

Photo: Jeff McCurry

Letter: Gorilla killed due to an assumption

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I mourn the brutal execution of Harambe, the 17-year-old gorilla who was shot at the Cincinnati Zoo, after a toddler crawled into his enclosure. The 3-year-old was heard to announce his intention to get into the moat in the gorilla's den, a proclamation apparently unheeded by his mother.

Although the child was within the gorilla's range for 10 minutes, with no aggressive behavior exhibited by the animal (who indeed appeared to help the child out of the water, hold his hand and react in a protective manner), zoo officials felt they could not risk the time spent for a tranquilizer to work so ordered their death squad to kill him. This was a rare lowland, silver back gorilla, one of just a few presently held in zoos, while their numbers in the wild are plummeting. This was a special animal, who deserved the chance to continue his young life.

There are documented cases of children being rescued by resident gorillas. In 1986, a boy fell into a gorilla pit, where Jambo stood guard over the child, then ran away as he began to cry. Ten years later, a boy climbed over a railing and fell into an enclosure. One of the gorillas, Binti Jua, cradled the youngster and carried the boy to the zoo's service door.

Gorillas are known for their gentle nature, and anyone who has seen a gorilla family interacting will know that the tenderness displayed by both parents toward their baby is a type to which humans should aspire. The death of Harambe was unnecessary and prompted by the assumption that the life of a human always takes precedence over that of an animal. I question that assumption.